The Pinoy Diet For Diabetics

A study published in "Diabetes Care" in 2012 reported that Filipinos are significantly more likely to develop diabetes when compared to most other ethnicities. This may be partly due to the traditional Filipino -- also known as Pinoy -- diet, which is high in white rice, cooking oil and sugar. Eating too many of these foods can lead to obesity, one of the primary risk factors of diabetes. You don't have to give up Pinoy foods to manage diabetes, nor do you need to begin an unusual and restrictive eating program. A diabetic Pinoy diet adheres to the same guidelines that govern all healthy eating. You may, however, need to alter some of your usual Pinoy recipes and cooking methods. Filipinos with diabetes should plan their menus so that at least half of each meal consists of vegetables. Enjoy a variety of fresh, frozen or low-sodium canned vegetables daily, including Pinoy favorites like bitter melon, bok choy, carrots, moringa leaves or malunggay, okra, squash, sweet potato leaves and kang kong, also known as water spinach. Serve them grilled, steamed or roasted instead of fried or topped with a high-calorie sauce.

Increase the proportion of vegetables to meat in traditional dishes like tinola or sinigang. It can be easy to consume more rice, noodles and bread than you need on a Pinoy diet. Diabetics should limit their carbohydrate-rich foods to approximately 25 percent of each meal. Pick regular or brown rice; oatmeal; pan de sal; whole-grain bread; noodles such as bihon, misuwa or rice; and starchy vegetables like taro, cassava, gabi or potatoes. Avoid instant noodles, sweetened dishes like sweet rice, fried breads, baked goods like ensaymada and sugary desserts. Diabetic Filipinos can enjoy fruit like papayas, oranges, pineapples, bananas, pomegranates, mangoes and tangerines daily. The key is to eat them in moderation -- have one small piece of whole fruit or 1/2 cup of sliced fruit with meals -- and to use them as a substitute for sugary, calorie-rich desserts. Unsweetened fresh or frozen fruit or fruit canned in 100 percent fruit juice are your best choices. Have dried fruit, fruit preserves like sampalok and fruit such as jackfruit and makapuno canned in heavy syrup infrequently, if at all.

Each meal should include a serving of a calcium-rich food such as milk, yogurt or cheese. Swap the full-fat dairy, cream, coconut milk, sour cream and sweetened condensed milk often used in Pinoy recipes for low- or nonfat milk and yogurt and reduced-fat cheese. For example, in popular desserts such as halo halo, substitute evaporated skim milk for the regular variety. Lose Weight. Feel Great! AGE lbs. WEIGHT ft. Diabetes and the Filipino Diet A List of Carbohydrates That You Can Eat When You Are a Type 2 Diabetic What Are Some Carbohydrates a Diabetic Should Not Eat, List of Foods Good for Pre-Diabetics Brown Rice Syrup vs. Agave for Diabetics Diets for Type 2 Diabetes and High Cholesterol 18 Famous People With Diabetes Foods Not to Eat With Type 2 Diabetes Can Diabetics Eat Ham, Brown Rice and Blood Sugar Is the Atkins Diet Good for Type 2 Diabetes, Cardiac and Diabetic Meal Plans Is Quinoa a Good Grain for Diabetics to Eat,

Multiple studies show the Mediterranean diet is a very helpful roadmap for an overall healthy diet. Thankfully multiple books, cookbooks, websites, and blogs have been devoted to this way of eating. Another similar approach is the anti-inflammatory diet. In both cases, think fruits, veggies, lean protein (especially fish), nuts, seeds and legumes…..you get the idea. As alluded to, weight loss is extremely important in normalizing blood glucose levels. In many studies they have found weight loss to be the most important factor in reducing diabetes risk. The theory is that being overweight increases inflammation in the body. Once the weight comes off and the inflammation subsides, blood glucose begins to return to normal. Of course diet is always interwoven with weight loss, so likely the diet plus the decrease in weight is working together. Whatever the cause, include modest weight loss in your plan and you should see results. Naturally we cannot talk about diet and weight loss without including exercise. Exercise helps support weight loss which we know improves blood glucose. Apart from helping with the weight, exercise also helps improve insulin sensitivity and increase metabolism, all of which help us clear sugar from the bloodstream more efficiently.